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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. can — a tin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. file — a document
  8. wind — moving air
  9. file — a line of people
  10. charge — a price
  11. file — a tool
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. charge — in control
  20. bound — certain
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. march — the month

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