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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — a path
  3. tear — from crying
  4. face — part of the head
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. face — to confront
  7. track — a song
  8. swing — to play on
  9. club — a group
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — for dancing
  13. track — to keep track
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — government
  16. row — a line
  17. face — to point toward
  18. club — for golf
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rule — a law
  23. swing — music
  24. rule — to rule out

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