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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — in control
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. scale — size or range
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — the sport
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — a skill
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fall — to drop
  14. game — a match
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — to get on
  20. charge — a price
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a committee

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