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 124 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — a skill
  6. object — a thing
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. object — an aim
  17. wind — moving air
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — boats
  22. tear — from crying
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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