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 · stand · cue · wound · mine · arm · bound · fork

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — certain
  12. cue — a signal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stand — to bear

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