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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tear — to rip
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — a position
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — a permit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. current — electric

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