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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. capital — money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. spring — of water
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. spring — the season
  14. hand — help
  15. capital — a city
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — all right
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fine — high quality
  24. capital — a big letter

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