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: bank · wind · spring · fine · row · shower · game · racket

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. row — a line
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spring — a coil
  13. game — a match
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — of a river
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — the season
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. row — a quarrel

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