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: wind · suit · land · rule · bat · fan · plane · mug

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. land — ground
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — a law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rule — government
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — a country
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. land — to come down
  24. plane — in geometry

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