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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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. hand — in cards
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — help
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bowl — to roll

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