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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to click
  10. stand — to bear
  11. net — after costs
  12. track — to keep track
  13. net — for catching
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chest — a box
  16. net — in sport
  17. track — a song
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — a path
  24. stand — on your feet

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