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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. root — the cause
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. shower — rain
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — the sport
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — a division
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. game — a match
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — to crush
  24. branch — of a bank

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