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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rock — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. scale — size or range
  8. root — the cause
  9. scale — in music
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lean — to bend
  15. season — in sport
  16. stock — goods
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. board — to get on
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stock — shares

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