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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tear — from crying
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — child
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — help
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kid — to tease
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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