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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — in sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. drill — army training
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. swing — music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. temple — a place of worship

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