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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. staff — employees
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. board — to get on
  19. deal — to handle
  20. net — after costs
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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