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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ball — a great time
  3. last — to go on
  4. object — to protest
  5. ball — a dance
  6. tear — from crying
  7. object — an aim
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — a publisher
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a path
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — from crying
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. track — a song

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