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: content · capital · fall · mouse · file · wind · firm · straw

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. file — a tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a document
  5. capital — a city
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fall — the season
  10. firm — decided
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. content — happy
  13. capital — money
  14. firm — a company
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — steady
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. straw — a straw man

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