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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — completely
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. game — a match
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — the fruit

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