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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. firm — a company
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. tear — from crying
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ground — the earth
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. club — a group
  12. ground — a position
  13. club — for golf
  14. board — a committee
  15. firm — decided
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — steady
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — in biology
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — to get on

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