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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · bay · tear · kick · bear · file

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. file — a line of people
  4. kick — in football
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a document
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — to rip
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. file — a tool

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