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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tear — from crying
  3. roll — a list
  4. spell — letters
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cell — a phone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tear — from crying
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cap — a hat
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. tear — to rip
  20. roll — a cake
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. safe — a strongbox

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