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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. drill — army training
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. field — farmland
  10. vault — a safe
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. face — to confront
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wake — a trail
  19. field — a subject
  20. tear — to rip
  21. drill — a practice
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. field — for sport
  24. face — to point toward

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