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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — to breed
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. scale — in music
  11. band — a ring
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — a partner
  20. band — a music group
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — a committee
  24. scale — size or range

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