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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. march — the month
  9. wind — moving air
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. board — a committee
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fall — the season
  16. march — the month
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. march — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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