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: chest · prune · board · spring · season · hand · leaves · chip

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chest — a box
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chest — of your body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hand — help
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — the season
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. season — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. board — to get on
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. season — of the year
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — to eat

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