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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. tear — to rip
  4. dip — to sink
  5. land — a country
  6. bore — to drill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fall — the season
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tear — from crying
  18. land — to come down
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. land — ground

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