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: board · chest · shower · scale · season · charge · rock · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chest — a box
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. shower — rain
  12. charge — in control
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. season — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — a price
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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