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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spring — of water
  5. bank — of a river
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a line
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — the season
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. spring — a coil
  24. squash — to crush

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