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: fall · cell · file · can · row · press · scale · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. press — to push
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. file — a document
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. can — a tin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fall — to drop
  16. file — a tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fall — the season
  19. cell — a phone
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — size or range
  24. file — a line of people

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