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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. tear — from crying
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — electric
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. chair — a leader
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — of water
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. current — happening now
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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