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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. season — in sport
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. firm — decided
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — tied together
  13. firm — a company
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — a committee
  17. firm — steady
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chip — to eat
  23. season — of the year
  24. snap — to click

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