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 116 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 · wound · hand · wind · bat · safe · fan · leaves

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. hand — help
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hand — in cards
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wound — an injury
  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