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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cold — an illness
  3. board — a committee
  4. present — there
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — the time now
  13. charge — a price
  14. board — to get on
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. branch — of a tree

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