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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lean — thin
  5. roll — a cake
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. roll — a list
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — of a tree

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