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: wind · cap · ball · face · bore · rule · bound · stock

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — to confront
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stock — goods
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bound — certain
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stock — shares
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rule — a law
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rule — government
  17. cap — of ice
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bound — tied together

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