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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — in football
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pop — to visit
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cold — not warm
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wax — to grow
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. roll — a list
  18. pop — soda
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. toast — bread
  24. pop — music

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