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: charge · bulb · club · track · pitch · straw · chest · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. track — a path
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. club — a group
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a song
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitch — completely
  19. club — for golf
  20. chest — of your body
  21. charge — electricity
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chest — a box
  24. charge — in control

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