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 120 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: wind · straw · bank · coach · track · wake · scale · squash

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — size or range
  3. track — a song
  4. wake — a trail
  5. track — a path
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — in music
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — to keep track
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. coach — a trainer

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