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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — final
  14. tube — a container
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tube — the underground
  19. last — finally
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — to handle

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