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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — a trail
  5. charge — a price
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — shares
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — of water
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — a leader
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. charge — in control

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