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: wind · current · trunk · ball · deal · saw · rest · tear

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. tear — from crying
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — to rip
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — of water
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a dance
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. current — electric
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rest — what's left

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