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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. can — a tin
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wind — moving air
  14. roll — a list
  15. can — a tin
  16. capital — a city
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cold — not warm

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