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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — certain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bound — tied together
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — a position
  17. lean — thin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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