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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — a price
  8. chest — a box
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. charge — in control
  11. march — the month
  12. chest — of your body
  13. march — the month
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. march — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — of a bank

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