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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. land — ground
  10. content — happy
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — a country
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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