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: mug · wind · charge · ground · row · lie · rush · rock

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ground — a position
  3. mug — a face
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mug — a cup
  11. charge — in control
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — the earth
  15. row — a line
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wind — moving air
  24. row — to paddle

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