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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. object — a thing
  6. degree — from a university
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. rest — a break
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. board — a committee
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rest — what's left

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