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 120 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: wound · board · cap · cold · lie · mouse · mug · wind

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. board — to get on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — a committee
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a flat piece

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