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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hand — help
  7. firm — decided
  8. board — to get on
  9. firm — steady
  10. stand — to bear
  11. board — a committee
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. firm — a company
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chest — of your body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. chest — a box

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