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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · chair · face · net · bound · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — a committee
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — high quality
  9. net — in sport
  10. face — part of the head
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — to confront
  13. chair — a leader
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. chair — a professorship

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