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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. race — humankind
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rule — a law
  8. wind — moving air
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rule — government
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — to bear
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. race — a contest
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lash — an eyelash

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