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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spring — of water
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — for catching
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — in sport
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. board — to get on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — a committee
  23. spring — the season
  24. coach — a trainer

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