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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. current — of water
  4. board — a committee
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stock — goods
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — shares
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. current — electric
  16. fine — all right
  17. board — to get on
  18. current — happening now
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. field — for sport
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. field — farmland

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