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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. court — of law
  3. board — a committee
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — the season
  8. board — to get on
  9. court — for sport
  10. spring — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — in music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. scale — size or range

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