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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — to paddle
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. shower — rain
  9. fall — the season
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tear — from crying
  21. row — a line
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bay — a horse colour

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