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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pop — music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pop — soda
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tear — to rip

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