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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chest — of your body
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fall — the season
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — a box
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — for spectators

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