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 116 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: file · tear · wind · pitch · bear · lean · last · club

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. club — a group
  5. pitch — completely
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. last — finally

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