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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tear — from crying
  5. face — to confront
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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