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

Word bank: firm · present · wind · tear · lash · content

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. present — there
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. firm — a company
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — decided
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. firm — steady
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — a gift
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. present — the time now
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wind — to turn a key

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