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: file · fine · chair · mine · dip · scale · spring · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spring — a coil
  4. file — a line of people
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fine — all right
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. spring — the season
  17. file — a document
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. board — to get on
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spring — of water
  24. fine — high quality

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