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: deal · dip · saw · club · wound · wind · mine · lean

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — a group
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. club — for dancing
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — for digging
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lean — thin
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wind — moving air

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