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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. court — of law
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hand — help
  5. tear — from crying
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — to push
  10. hand — in cards
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tear — from crying
  15. court — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — of a king
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. prune — to trim

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