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: tear · staff · wound · rash · stand · cell · rest · wave

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rest — what's left
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — a break
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rash — a series
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cell — a phone
  20. staff — employees
  21. wound — an injury
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stand — on your feet

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