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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — in cards
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chest — a box
  12. season — of the year
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stem — to come from
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. season — in sport
  24. suit — clothes

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