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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. dip — to sink
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. season — of the year
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. season — in sport
  24. bear — the animal

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