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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. charge — a price
  4. tear — to rip
  5. swing — in golf
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. swing — music
  14. file — a document
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tear — from crying
  17. swing — to play on
  18. charge — in control
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. toast — bread

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