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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. fan — a supporter
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. saw — the tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — a friend
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a committee
  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