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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · shower · rule · stick · wind · lean

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. 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. rule — government
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rule — a law
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — rain
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tear — from crying
  18. 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