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 · wound · chest · charge · rock · present · hand · toast

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — in control
  5. rock — music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chest — of your body
  8. toast — bread
  9. present — a gift
  10. charge — a price
  11. present — there
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. present — the time now
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chest — a box
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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