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: row · tube · racket · tear · spell · face · stand · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tear — to rip
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. face — to confront
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — to bear
  10. row — a line
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — a container
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — magic
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. face — to point toward
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — a loud noise

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