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: hide · club · hand · spell · ruler · present · wind · cabinet

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. present — there
  2. wind — moving air
  3. present — the time now
  4. spell — letters
  5. present — a gift
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. spell — magic
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. club — for golf
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wind — moving air
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. club — a group
  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