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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — certain
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. board — a committee
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bass — low music
  14. board — to get on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spring — of water
  19. branch — a division
  20. roll — a cake
  21. spring — the season
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. roll — a list
  24. cabinet — ministers

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