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: firm · can · lash · board · season · land · chest · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. can — a tin
  5. chest — of your body
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — of the year
  13. firm — decided
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. board — to get on
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — to come down
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. season — in sport
  23. chest — a box
  24. can — to be able to

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