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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. net — after costs
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — in sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — all right
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — for catching
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a match
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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