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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bark — to shout
  11. face — to confront
  12. lie — to recline
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. court — of law
  23. face — part of the head
  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