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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — help
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — a price
  12. track — a path
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — happening now
  15. lie — to recline
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. track — to keep track
  24. current — electric

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