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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. drill — a practice
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. drill — the tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. shower — to wash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — to sink
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. drill — army training
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. can — a tin

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