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: charge · field · tube · board · bat · wind · stand · bear

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. tube — a container
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. field — a subject
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — the underground
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. charge — in control
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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