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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — a gift
  3. face — part of the head
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to click
  7. squash — the sport
  8. march — the month
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wind — moving air
  17. present — the time now
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. march — music

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