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: swing · season · ground · wind · bank · face · bound · spell

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spell — letters
  4. swing — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — a position
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spell — magic
  11. swing — in golf
  12. face — to confront
  13. season — of the year
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — a short time
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bank — of a river
  19. face — to point toward
  20. season — in sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — obliged
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bound — certain

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