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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — thin
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pound — a weight
  16. capital — money
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lean — to bend

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