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: scale · mine · cold · board · season · stick · suit · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cold — an illness
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. board — to get on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. firm — decided
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — of the year
  14. cold — not warm
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — a company
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. suit — in cards
  21. season — in sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. scale — in music
  24. mine — an explosive

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