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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mug — a face
  3. tear — to rip
  4. track — a song
  5. mug — a cup
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. track — to keep track
  8. snap — to click
  9. track — a path
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. tear — from crying
  14. band — a ring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tear — from crying
  20. band — a music group
  21. fine — all right
  22. date — the fruit
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mug — to rob

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