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

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cold — an illness
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. firm — a company
  21. snap — to click
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — to turn a key

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