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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bound — tied together
  3. shower — to wash
  4. tear — from crying
  5. content — happy
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tear — from crying
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chair — a leader
  10. shower — rain
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tear — to rip
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bound — certain
  16. dip — to sink
  17. content — the amount
  18. dip — a sauce

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