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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cold — an illness
  3. chip — for betting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. deal — to handle

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