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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. scale — in music
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — size or range
  5. clip — a video
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — farmland
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. clip — for paper
  20. field — for sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. field — a subject
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — of a river

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