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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ball — a great time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — to rip
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a dance
  15. dip — to sink
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. temple — side of the head

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