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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — in cards
  4. club — a group
  5. fall — to drop
  6. club — for golf
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fall — the season
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kid — child
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hand — help
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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