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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. land — a country
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. swing — to play on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. land — to come down
  17. tear — to rip
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. land — ground
  20. row — a line
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tear — from crying

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