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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tear — from crying
  9. present — a gift
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. present — there
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. can — a tin
  18. march — the month
  19. present — the time now
  20. rest — a break
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — for digging
  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