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: land · current · suit · tear · object · straw · row · bear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. row — a line
  3. current — electric
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — in cards
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. row — to paddle
  9. land — ground
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — happening now
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — a country
  15. current — of water
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — to come down

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