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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bank — for money
  4. degree — from a university
  5. charge — a price
  6. board — a committee
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bank — of a river
  17. charge — in control
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cue — a signal
  21. board — to get on
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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