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: fan · cabinet · wind · bank · calf · ground · face · wake

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wind — moving air
  5. face — to confront
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — a trail
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — a position
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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