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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — to get on
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rule — government
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. field — a subject
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. capital — a city
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spring — the season
  18. rule — a law
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. field — for sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — a committee
  23. capital — money
  24. spring — a coil

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