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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. drill — army training
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — a gift
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tear — to rip
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — a signal
  11. present — the time now
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cue — for pool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. face — to point toward
  18. present — there
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pass — a permit
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. shower — rain

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