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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tear — to rip
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tear — from crying
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. drill — a practice
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — a trace
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. staff — employees

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