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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. swing — music
  3. rock — music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stand — to bear
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tear — from crying
  14. row — a line
  15. deal — to handle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cold — an illness
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. swing — to play on
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cold — the Cold War

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