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: bank · plane · last · file · dip · wind · bass · rush

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — the fish
  4. last — to go on
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a line of people
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. file — a tool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rush — hurry
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — of a river
  19. dip — to sink
  20. file — a document
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bass — low music
  24. bank — for money

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