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: hand · bound · rock · pit · roll · leaves · wind · stand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. hand — help
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bound — tied together
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — music
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stand — on your feet

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