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: sharp · land · bay · wind · field · cabinet · board · vault

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. vault — a safe
  11. land — ground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — to come down
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — to get on
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — a country
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — for sport
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. board — a committee
  24. wind — moving air

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