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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ball — a dance
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bound — certain
  9. cold — an illness
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — obliged
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tear — to rip
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — the time now
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. present — a gift
  22. tear — from crying
  23. present — there
  24. safe — a strongbox

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