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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a committee
  3. march — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — to get on
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. march — the month
  19. bass — low music
  20. bank — for money
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — magic
  23. bank — of a river
  24. spell — letters

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