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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. net — after costs
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. net — for catching
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. row — a line
  8. press — to push
  9. net — in sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pop — music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chip — to eat

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