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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. club — a group
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — for catching
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — to breed
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mate — a partner
  16. net — after costs
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rash — a series
  24. net — in sport

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