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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spell — a short time
  10. branch — a division
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. content — happy
  14. tear — to rip
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — hurry
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. spell — letters
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. spell — magic
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — a tin

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