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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mine — for digging
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. drill — a practice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. drill — army training
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — part of the head
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in biology
  19. kid — child
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — to tease
  23. face — to confront
  24. tear — to rip

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