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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. can — to be able to
  11. march — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — to get on
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hand — help
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fall — the season
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — the month

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