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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pound — for dogs

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