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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mug — a face
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bat — the animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. bass — low music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. object — a thing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — to trim

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