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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cold — not warm
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cold — an illness
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — help
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wind — to turn a key

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