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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. object — to protest
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — an aim
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — music
  8. fall — the season
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. tear — to rip
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — an amount
  13. object — a thing
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — happy
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. degree — from a university
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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