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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. last — to go on
  3. rest — a break
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tube — a container
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — the tool
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — a position
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ground — crushed
  15. drill — army training
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ground — the earth
  24. firm — decided

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