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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cell — a phone
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — to get on
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cold — not warm
  10. spell — magic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — letters
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — a committee

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