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 · club · stick · degree · key · firm · chair · face

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. degree — an amount
  3. firm — a company
  4. club — a group
  5. degree — from a university
  6. face — to point toward
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. club — for dancing
  11. key — for a lock
  12. degree — temperature
  13. board — a committee
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. board — to get on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — part of the head
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — to confront
  24. firm — steady

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