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: bound · ball · chair · chest · band · rule · bay · board

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a committee
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rule — a law
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. board — to get on
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chest — a box

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