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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. face — part of the head
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wind — moving air
  5. face — to point toward
  6. capital — money
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wind — moving air
  10. row — a line
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — a city
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. degree — an amount
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. face — to confront
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. deal — to handle

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