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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. spell — letters
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — to rip
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — to get on
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. hand — help
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — magic
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ruler — a monarch

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