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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. content — the amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — rain
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stand — on your feet

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