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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. last — to go on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — after costs
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. last — final
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — in sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. last — finally
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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