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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. row — a line
  3. suit — in cards
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. suit — to fit
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. suit — clothes
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — crushed
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — to paddle
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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