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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — for catching
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. swing — in golf
  17. net — after costs
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. swing — to play on
  20. firm — a company
  21. swing — music
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — in sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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