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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — the season
  8. rest — a break
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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