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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rock — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fine — all right
  18. tear — to rip
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. content — happy

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