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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · rush · field · object · rock · plane · wind · board

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. board — a committee
  5. object — an aim
  6. field — a subject
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. field — farmland
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — music
  13. object — to protest
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — a thing
  24. field — for sport

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