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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chest — a box
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fall — the season
  12. mate — a friend
  13. sharp — clever
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mate — to breed
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fall — to drop
  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