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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. drill — army training
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — the tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fork — in a road
  17. capital — a city
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — in football
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. land — to come down

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