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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. row — a line
  5. fine — all right
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — in sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. net — for catching
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — to tire
  24. net — after costs

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