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

Word bank: saw · board · can · land · fine · rule · wind · present

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a committee
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rule — a law
  9. can — to be able to
  10. land — ground
  11. rule — government
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — all right
  16. land — a country
  17. present — a gift
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. saw — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wind — to turn a key

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