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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — to recline
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bear — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a line
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. leaves — lets stay

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