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 116 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 · bowl · drill · cabinet · game · season · field · calf

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. board — to get on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. field — farmland
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — a match
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — in sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — of the year
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. board — a committee
  24. game — wild animals

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