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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cold — not warm
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. board — to get on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — a position
  11. firm — decided
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ground — crushed
  14. firm — a company
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. present — there
  18. stand — to bear
  19. firm — steady
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ground — the earth
  24. board — a committee

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