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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — of law
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — newspapers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. root — of a word
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — a stick
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. tear — to rip
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fall — to drop
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — the season

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