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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. board — a committee
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — goods
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. board — to get on
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bulb — for light
  15. staff — a stick
  16. snap — to click
  17. present — a gift
  18. stock — shares
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. present — there
  21. cold — not warm
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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