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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tube — a container
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spell — magic
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. current — of water
  18. rock — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — thin
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — happening now

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