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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stock — goods
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stock — shares
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tear — from crying

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