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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. face — to confront
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. capital — a city
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hand — help
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. face — to point toward
  17. capital — money
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bound — certain
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wind — moving air

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