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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — a price
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — in control
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. charge — electricity
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fall — the season
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a great time
  19. file — a document
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — music

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