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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. charge — in control
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stock — shares
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mine — for digging

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