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: content · pop · race · wind · pass · fork · rock · file

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. race — humankind
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pop — music
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wind — moving air
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. file — a document
  14. pop — soda
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — music
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. content — happy
  24. file — a line of people

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