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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ground — a position
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — lets stay

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