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

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — happy
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tear — from crying
  10. content — the amount
  11. branch — a division
  12. last — to go on
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. last — final
  15. fall — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. 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