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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chest — a box
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. season — in sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rock — a stone
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rock — music
  14. current — happening now
  15. chest — of your body
  16. current — electric
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. current — of water

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