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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tear — to rip
  4. craft — boats
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bat — the animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a tool
  13. toast — bread
  14. tear — from crying
  15. file — a document
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bore — to drill
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ball — a great time

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