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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cap — a hat
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tear — from crying
  17. band — a music group
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cap — of ice
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. foot — a measure
  23. race — a contest
  24. wax — to grow

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