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: stand · spring · wake · sharp · wave · wind · charge · mine

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. charge — in control
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — a price
  23. wind — moving air
  24. sharp — exactly

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