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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fine — all right
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rash — a series
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. track — a song
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — a path
  20. land — ground
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. land — a country
  24. tear — from crying

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