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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a document
  4. track — a path
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — music
  9. track — a song
  10. season — of the year
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a line of people
  13. season — in sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ground — a position
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to bend
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — thin

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