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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tear — to rip
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. date — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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