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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tear — from crying
  5. file — a line of people
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. file — a tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. firm — decided
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cue — for pool
  18. file — a document
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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