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 120 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: rest · wind · bore · fan · tube · bound · fine · lie

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — a container
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — all right
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — obliged

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