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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. craft — boats
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to click
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — electric
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — happening now
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fall — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — of water
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lie — to recline

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