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: degree · wind · staff · wound · fan · track · hide · rush

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — an injury
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. degree — from a university
  12. track — a song
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rush — hurry
  16. track — a path
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — employees
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — a supporter

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