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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. row — to paddle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. deal — to handle
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stem — to come from
  14. file — a tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. row — a line
  20. file — a document
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wind — moving air
  24. arm — a part of something

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