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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ground — crushed
  3. tear — to rip
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — the earth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bound — obliged
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. snap — to click
  15. suit — clothes
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. tear — from crying
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ground — a position

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