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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. drill — army training
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. board — a committee
  6. rest — a break
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. board — to get on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. court — for sport

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