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 124 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. track — a path
  3. last — finally
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cell — in biology
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. track — a song
  21. cell — a phone
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — final
  24. tear — from crying

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