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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. march — the month
  6. current — happening now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — to get on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — music
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — electric
  15. march — the month
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — goods
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. season — of the year
  24. board — a committee

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