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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spring — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — to get on
  10. race — humankind
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. degree — temperature
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — of water
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. degree — from a university

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