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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. current — of water
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — to recline
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. current — happening now
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — to grow
  22. row — a line
  23. current — electric
  24. pound — for dogs

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