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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bank — for money
  3. ball — a dance
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. board — a committee
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wind — moving air
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bank — of a river
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wind — moving air
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitch — completely
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bank — for money
  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