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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rush — hurry
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tear — from crying
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wind — moving air

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