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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. race — the arms race
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mate — a friend
  10. race — a contest
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. content — the amount
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mate — to breed
  17. clip — a video
  18. content — happy
  19. race — humankind
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mate — a partner
  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