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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — part of the head
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. face — to confront
  17. stand — to bear
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mouse — for a computer

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