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

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. press — newspapers
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bound — obliged
  5. board — to get on
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. press — to push
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. press — a publisher
  14. field — farmland
  15. bound — certain
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. last — finally
  19. field — for sport
  20. last — final
  21. field — a subject
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. last — to go on

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