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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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