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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — to get on
  3. wind — moving air
  4. capital — money
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — a signal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. capital — a city
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cue — a hint
  20. board — a committee
  21. snap — to click
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. board — a flat piece

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