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: wound · club · safe · bowl · tube · wind · cabinet · roll

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for dancing
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. roll — a list
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — a container
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. roll — on a roll

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