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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. land — ground
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — humankind
  13. land — a country
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. race — a contest
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. tear — from crying
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bay — a horse colour

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