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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — in golf
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tube — a container
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pound — a weight
  11. tear — to rip
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. tube — the underground
  14. swing — to play on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. swing — music
  17. content — the amount
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. track — a song
  21. content — happy
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. track — a path
  24. tube — in a tire

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