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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. object — a thing
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — an aim
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — a committee
  11. rock — music
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. object — to protest
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — in music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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