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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. firm — decided
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spring — the season
  7. march — music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chest — a box
  10. spring — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. march — the month
  15. chest — of your body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. march — the month
  24. club — for dancing

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