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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. degree — from a university
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stock — goods
  15. clip — to cut
  16. degree — an amount
  17. clip — a video
  18. field — farmland
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — a soup base

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