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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. 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 — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. last — to go on
  4. pound — a weight
  5. kick — in football
  6. rock — music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tear — to rip
  12. last — final
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stem — to come from
  24. 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