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 116 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — farmland
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — a subject
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rash — a series
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. staff — a stick
  19. capital — money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. field — for sport
  23. rash — hasty
  24. capital — a city

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