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: staff · cold · suit · wound · wind · fine · lean · mouse

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cold — not warm
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lean — thin
  16. fine — all right
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. staff — employees

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