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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — army training
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. drill — the tool
  7. swing — in golf
  8. spring — a coil
  9. swing — to play on
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spring — of water
  16. fine — high quality
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — all right
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — to bear
  23. swing — music
  24. spring — the season

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