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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. tear — from crying
  13. plane — a tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bore — to drill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. firm — decided
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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