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: file · fine · kick · wave · wind · staff · hand · deal

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. file — a line of people
  7. hand — help
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kick — in football
  15. wind — moving air
  16. file — a document
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. file — a tool
  24. deal — to handle

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