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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fall — the season
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — to come down
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — ground
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. land — a country
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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