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: chest · charge · key · board · swing · bank · spell · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. key — in music
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chest — of your body
  5. spell — letters
  6. board — to get on
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — magic
  11. chest — a box
  12. key — the most important part
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — a short time
  17. swing — music
  18. board — a committee
  19. swing — to play on
  20. charge — a price
  21. bank — of a river
  22. swing — in golf
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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