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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — from crying
  3. sharp — clever
  4. last — to go on
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — finally
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cap — a lid
  12. can — to be able to
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cap — a hat
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. can — a tin
  18. last — final
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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