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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — to point toward
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — child
  7. tear — to rip
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. land — to come down
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — a country
  12. tear — from crying
  13. land — ground
  14. file — a document
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pitch — completely
  23. file — a tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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