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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — shares
  11. band — a music group
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fine — all right
  17. stock — goods
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — to get on
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. band — a rubber band

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