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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rest — a break
  4. mark — a trace
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. race — a contest
  10. toast — bread
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — a grade
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. file — a tool
  20. tear — to rip
  21. race — the arms race
  22. file — a line of people
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. race — humankind

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