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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — to visit
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — soda
  7. capital — a city
  8. stock — shares
  9. key — in music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — money
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. drill — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. present — there
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stock — goods
  21. drill — army training
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pop — music

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