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: drill · cabinet · suit · wind · game · board · spring · lean

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wind — moving air
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. game — a match
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spring — a coil
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spring — of water
  11. board — a committee
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — the season
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. game — wild animals
  24. drill — army training

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