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: rush · wind · rash · saw · march · bay · game · firm

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. march — the month
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. firm — a company
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — a match
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wind — moving air
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. march — music

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