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: season · scale · craft · chest · board · stock · mark · chip

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. scale — in music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. board — a committee
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mark — a trace
  16. season — in sport
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. board — to get on
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — size or range
  23. craft — boats
  24. stock — shares

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