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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. dip — to sink
  11. clip — a video
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. clip — for paper
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wind — moving air
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. roll — a list

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