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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. firm — steady
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — to paddle
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ground — a position
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. swing — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. firm — decided
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. row — a line
  21. firm — a company
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lash — to lash out

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