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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pass — a permit
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — a grade
  14. staff — a stick
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wind — moving air
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. staff — employees
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of a tree

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