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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. board — a committee
  5. key — for a lock
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. board — to get on
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chest — a box
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — the most important part
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. band — a ring
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. band — a music group
  24. cabinet — ministers

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