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: suit · saw · degree · calf · wind · rule · rock · board

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rule — a law
  11. saw — the tool
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — clothes
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — government
  24. board — to get on

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