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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. land — a country
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. board — to get on
  6. land — ground
  7. board — a committee
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. branch — a division
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. roll — a list
  14. mug — a face
  15. pound — a weight
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. roll — a cake
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mug — a cup
  21. land — to come down
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wind — moving air
  24. branch — of a tree

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