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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — thin
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rash — a series
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hand — help
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — in a race
  20. hand — in cards
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lean — to bend

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