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: cap · net · wound · board · field · fan · prune · wind

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — a lid
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — after costs
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — a hat
  9. field — a subject
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wind — moving air
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — for catching
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. field — for sport
  22. net — in sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. field — farmland

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