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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cue — for pool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cue — a hint
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ground — crushed
  16. file — a tool
  17. track — a path
  18. board — to get on
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. file — a document
  21. board — a committee
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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