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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — to get on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mug — to rob
  7. board — a committee
  8. mug — a face
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — of the year
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mug — a cup

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