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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. kid — child
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bass — low music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — to tease
  12. tear — to rip
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stand — for spectators

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