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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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. dip — to sink
  4. face — to point toward
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — government
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rule — a law
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wind — moving air
  24. drill — the tool

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