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: stand · bear · temple · wind · land · roll · swing · rush

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — to play on
  7. land — a country
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — a list
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — to come down
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stand — on your feet

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