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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cue — a hint
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — the animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. clip — for paper
  13. current — of water
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — a signal
  18. current — electric
  19. clip — a video
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cue — for pool
  22. row — a line
  23. tear — from crying
  24. clip — to cut

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