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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. board — a committee
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. object — an aim
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — to protest
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — thin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spring — of water
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — a thing
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. spring — a coil

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