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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — to rip
  3. net — for catching
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. net — after costs
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — in sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bound — certain
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — an injury

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