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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — child
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — a company

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