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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — the underground
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. firm — decided
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — of ice
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — thin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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