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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wound — an injury
  13. swing — to play on
  14. net — after costs
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — letters
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wound — an injury
  20. net — for catching
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wind — moving air

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