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 be taking the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. staff — a stick
  5. drill — the tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — army training
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tube — a container
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a committee
  14. tear — from crying
  15. staff — employees
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — to cut
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rash — a series
  20. clip — a video
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rash — on the skin

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