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: tear · present · pop · stand · swing · row

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pop — soda
  5. row — to paddle
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. present — a gift
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. row — a line
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. present — there
  15. tear — to rip
  16. swing — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — the time now

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