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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. board — to get on
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. charge — in control
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. charge — a price

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