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 · cap · staff · rock · rest · wound · stand · firm

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — a company
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cap — of ice
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. row — a line
  14. firm — decided
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. firm — steady
  18. rest — a break
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rest — what's left

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