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: club · current · mine · bay · march · wind · lie · bear

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. current — of water
  6. mine — for digging
  7. current — electric
  8. march — the month
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. club — a group
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — moving air
  18. club — for golf
  19. wind — moving air
  20. march — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mine — an explosive

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