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: rule · rush · bark · wind · lie · present · ball · spring

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. present — a gift
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. present — there
  7. rule — government
  8. spring — of water
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — the time now
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. spring — the season
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rule — a law
  24. bark — of a tree

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