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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. object — a thing
  4. rash — a series
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. mate — a friend
  8. degree — temperature
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. tear — to rip
  11. degree — from a university
  12. present — the time now
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rash — hasty
  18. band — a ring
  19. object — an aim
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. band — a music group
  23. object — to protest
  24. mate — to breed

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