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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. roll — a list
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. tear — to rip
  10. track — a path
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bear — the animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. march — music
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a song
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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