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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. track — a path
  4. board — to get on
  5. band — a ring
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. track — to keep track
  8. squash — the sport
  9. band — a music group
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chest — a box
  22. drill — army training
  23. squash — to crush
  24. board — a committee

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