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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. mug — a face
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. land — ground
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. land — to come down
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. sharp — clever
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mug — a cup
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. prune — to trim
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wave — of the sea

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