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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. march — music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. march — the month
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spell — magic
  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