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: swing · lie · ball · wind · stand · safe · cold · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cold — the Cold War

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