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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — the cause
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. craft — a skill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — of a plant
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pit — a hole
  16. craft — boats
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a path
  21. tear — to rip
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. root — of a word

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