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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. board — to get on
  3. tear — from crying
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kid — child
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. board — a committee
  14. firm — steady
  15. march — the month
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. plane — a tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. tear — from crying
  20. snap — to click
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. firm — a company
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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