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: tear · hide · saw · fine · straw · band · jam · lean

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. band — a music group
  9. tear — to rip
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tear — from crying
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — all right
  18. lean — thin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lean — to bend
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tear — from crying

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