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: charge · stand · tear · tube · board · wound · cabinet · perch

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. charge — a price
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tear — from crying
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — the underground
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — a container
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — to rip
  23. board — a committee
  24. perch — for a bird

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