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

Word bank: chest · chair · squash · pass · board · race

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chest — a box
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. race — humankind
  8. board — to get on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — the sport
  11. race — a contest
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chair — a leader
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chair — to sit on

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