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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wind — moving air
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wind — moving air
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. tear — to rip
  10. object — an aim
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. roll — a list
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — to handle
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. saw — the tool

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