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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fine — all right
  4. current — electric
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. current — happening now
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — of water
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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