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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tear — from crying
  5. swing — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — to shout
  11. root — the cause
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. kid — child
  22. root — of a word
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — from crying

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