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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. net — in sport
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — after costs
  24. calf — a young animal

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