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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kid — child
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — a weight
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wind — to turn a key

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