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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. march — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. scale — in music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wind — moving air
  11. march — the month
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fine — all right
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a committee
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — size or range
  24. board — to get on

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