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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pound — a weight
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cap — a lid
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mug — a face
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. drill — army training
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cap — a hat
  16. dip — to sink
  17. track — a path
  18. drill — a practice
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mug — a cup

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