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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — a committee
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. game — a match
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. scale — in music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wind — moving air
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — to get on

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