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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — thin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — a hat
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. staff — employees
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cap — of ice
  24. staff — employees

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