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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. file — a tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — in football
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. file — a document
  15. kid — to tease
  16. tear — to rip
  17. suit — to fit
  18. kid — child
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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