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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cell — in biology
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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