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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. track — a path
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a line
  15. tear — from crying
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. track — a song
  22. cell — a phone
  23. tear — to rip
  24. track — to keep track

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