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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bass — low music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — the season
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spring — a coil
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bank — for money
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spring — of water
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — to keep secret

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