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 120 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: game · bound · cabinet · net · rule · board · spring · bulb

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. net — after costs
  6. spring — the season
  7. bound — tied together
  8. board — a committee
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — to get on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — a match
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — of water
  20. rule — government
  21. bound — certain
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bulb — of a plant

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