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 120 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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tear — to rip
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. tear — from crying
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — a permit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fine — all right
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. firm — a company
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — rain
  18. saw — the tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. firm — decided
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — steady
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — high quality

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