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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cell — in biology
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mark — a trace
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bark — to shout
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rash — a series
  23. tear — from crying
  24. sharp — with an edge

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