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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tear — to rip
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tear — from crying
  18. date — the fruit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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