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: roll · field · rash · wound · wind · can · fall · bulb

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — a series
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — to drop
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rash — hasty
  14. field — farmland
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — to be able to
  17. field — a subject
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wind — moving air
  21. roll — a list
  22. field — for sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. roll — a cake

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