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: present · wake · saw · bear · tear · rule

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. rule — government
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — a law
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — the time now
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tear — from crying

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