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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spell — a short time
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spell — magic
  22. fall — the season
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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