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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chair — a leader
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. branch — a division
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mate — to breed
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — wild animals
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a match
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — side of the head

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