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

Word bank: tear · foot · object · stand · file · cell

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tear — from crying
  3. object — an aim
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a document
  6. object — to protest
  7. tear — to rip
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. file — a tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. file — a line of people
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cell — a phone
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — on your feet

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