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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spring — the season
  6. hand — help
  7. key — in music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. tear — from crying
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tear — to rip
  15. vault — a safe
  16. key — the most important part
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. toast — bread
  19. hand — in cards
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spring — a coil
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pit — in a race

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