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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — hurry
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — in music
  16. track — a path
  17. board — a committee
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. track — a song
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. board — to get on
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wound — an injury

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