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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — in football
  5. rash — hasty
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. capital — money
  10. present — the time now
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. capital — a city
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rash — a series
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tear — to rip
  21. prune — to trim
  22. staff — employees
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tear — from crying

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