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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cap — a lid
  6. track — a path
  7. content — happy
  8. cap — of ice
  9. track — a song
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cap — a hat
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. can — to be able to
  17. present — there
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tear — to rip
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — a gift
  22. content — the amount
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tear — from crying

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