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: wound · pop · foot · tear · rash · bear · fine · current

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — electric
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wound — an injury
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. fine — all right
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. current — of water

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