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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — magic
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. spell — letters
  16. swing — music
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — in golf
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — certain

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