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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bound — certain
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hand — help
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bound — tied together
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. clip — a video
  19. firm — a company
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. clip — for paper
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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