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: hand · press · sharp · wind · board · fine · capital · vault

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. vault — a safe
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. press — newspapers
  8. board — to get on
  9. capital — money
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. press — to push
  13. capital — a city
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hand — help
  19. fine — all right
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. press — a publisher

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