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: swing · race · content · wind · fall · rock · fine · sharp

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. sharp — clever
  3. swing — music
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rock — music
  9. fall — the season
  10. race — the arms race
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — all right
  14. swing — in golf
  15. content — the amount
  16. race — a contest
  17. fine — high quality
  18. race — humankind
  19. rock — a stone
  20. content — happy
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fine — a penalty

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