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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bound — certain
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bound — obliged
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — child
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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