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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. rule — a law
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a great time
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. file — a document
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bass — low music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rule — government
  18. file — a tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — the fish
  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