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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — to breed
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — a partner
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. tear — to rip
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — the fish
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. kick — in football
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. toast — bread
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mate — a friend

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