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: cabinet · game · shower · current · key · bulb · wake · board

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — happening now
  11. key — the most important part
  12. shower — rain
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — in music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. shower — to wash
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — of water
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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