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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — soda
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. court — for sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. branch — a division
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — of a king
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — of law
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — a supporter

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