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: board · fall · cabinet · spring · race · field · pit · bound

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — obliged
  3. race — humankind
  4. fall — the season
  5. bound — certain
  6. race — the arms race
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — in a race
  12. field — for sport
  13. race — a contest
  14. board — to get on
  15. spring — the season
  16. bound — tied together
  17. field — a subject
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. field — farmland
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spring — of water
  24. board — a committee

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