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: season · wind · chip · calf · bound · fan · shower · board

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bound — certain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — to get on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. season — of the year
  10. bound — obliged
  11. shower — rain
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bound — tied together
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. board — a committee
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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