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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. race — humankind
  8. season — of the year
  9. content — happy
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — a contest
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. season — in sport
  22. fork — in a road
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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