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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. content — the amount
  8. squash — to crush
  9. face — to confront
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — a line
  14. fall — the season
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. face — to point toward
  18. content — happy
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ruler — for measuring

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