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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — a company
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. firm — steady
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. firm — decided
  17. drill — the tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tear — from crying
  21. drill — army training
  22. cap — a hat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — to lash out

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