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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wind — moving air
  5. staff — a stick
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spring — the season
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. staff — employees
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. row — a line
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. spring — of water
  22. tear — to rip
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — a big deal

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