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: land · chair · craft · tube · lash · charge · board · firm

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. board — to get on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. board — a committee
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. land — ground
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. craft — boats
  13. firm — steady
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — a price
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. craft — a handicraft

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