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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. file — a tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fall — the season

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