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: wind · season · bore · stand · wake · net · face · staff

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wind — moving air
  5. season — of the year
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — part of the head
  10. net — for catching
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. staff — employees
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. net — in sport
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bore — to tire
  20. net — after costs
  21. stand — to bear
  22. staff — a stick
  23. face — to confront
  24. staff — employees

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