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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spring — the season
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. tear — to rip
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — thin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. band — a ring
  24. spring — of water

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