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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — a container
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tube — the underground
  11. scale — size or range
  12. foot — a measure
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. craft — boats
  17. tear — from crying
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bore — to tire
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. squash — the sport
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bore — to drill

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