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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — a list
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. roll — a cake
  20. tear — from crying
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tear — from crying
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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