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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mug — a face
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. march — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. march — the month
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mug — to rob

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