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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — to confront
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rock — music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. face — part of the head
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. court — of law
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — of a king
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — for sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — to point toward
  18. squash — to crush
  19. foot — a measure
  20. tear — to rip
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rash — a series
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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