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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — hasty
  4. firm — decided
  5. face — to point toward
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — a division
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rash — a series
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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