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 · content · season · file · land · key · mug · rock

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. content — happy
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. season — of the year
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. content — the amount
  14. wind — moving air
  15. key — the most important part
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — in music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — music
  21. file — a document
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rock — a stone
  24. land — ground

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