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: pound · board · spell · wound · temple · object · plane · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. object — a thing
  4. board — a committee
  5. pound — a weight
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spell — magic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wound — an injury
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — an aim
  19. spell — letters
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — a short time
  22. plane — a tool
  23. object — to protest
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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