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 120 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: bear · row · hide · present · root · tear · current · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — the time now
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. root — the cause
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. present — there
  12. tear — from crying
  13. row — a line
  14. tear — from crying
  15. root — of a plant
  16. current — electric
  17. tear — to rip
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. present — a gift
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. root — of a word

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