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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bound — certain
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — a strongbox

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