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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. tear — to rip
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — a group
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tear — from crying
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fork — to eat with

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