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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a music group
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — the season
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a ring
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spring — a coil
  24. band — a rubber band

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