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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. track — a song
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. track — a path
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to click
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tear — to rip

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