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 · degree · current · mug · roll · ball · spring · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ball — a dance
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wind — moving air
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mug — a face
  9. spring — of water
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ball — a great time
  16. degree — temperature
  17. spring — the season
  18. current — electric
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — happening now
  23. roll — a list
  24. current — of water

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