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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — soda
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bound — obliged
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. row — a line
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pop — to visit
  19. dip — to sink
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pop — music
  24. leaves — to go away

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