ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. board — a committee
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. swing — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. charge — electricity
  9. scale — in music
  10. charge — in control
  11. court — for sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. scale — size or range
  15. board — to get on
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. court — of a king
  18. swing — in golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — of law
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com