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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — government
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. board — a committee
  19. pitch — completely
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — to get on
  24. tear — from crying

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