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 116 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: fan · board · cold · march · stick · scale · safe · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. scale — size or range
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. march — the month
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. scale — in music
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — not warm

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