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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rock — music
  17. rash — a series
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — a match
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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