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 120 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: cold · chair · rash · board · lean · stand · net · chip

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rash — a series
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — after costs
  6. board — a committee
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — thin
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cold — an illness
  18. net — for catching
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. net — in sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stand — to bear

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