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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · wake · cell · band · fine · wind

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. 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. stand — on your feet
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wind — moving air
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fine — high quality
  18. 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