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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. board — a committee
  3. chair — a leader
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cap — of ice
  9. last — to go on
  10. snap — to click
  11. scale — size or range
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — the amount
  14. mark — a grade
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. board — to get on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. last — finally
  20. mark — a trace
  21. scale — in music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. content — happy
  24. last — final

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