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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. board — a committee
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. board — to get on
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cell — in biology

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