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: racket · bay · chip · capital · board · season · safe · trunk

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — of the year
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chip — to eat
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. board — to get on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a committee
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — for betting
  24. racket — a loud noise

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