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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kick — in football
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. tear — to rip
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. game — a match
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. row — a line
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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