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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. spring — a coil
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — a container
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stand — to bear
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitch — completely
  24. spring — the season

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