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

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — child
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tear — to rip
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. current — electric
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — happening now
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. current — of water
  18. tear — from crying

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