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: row · mug · track · content · fork · race · tear · perch

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. perch — the fish
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — in a road
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. content — happy
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mug — a face
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. track — a path
  11. content — the amount
  12. row — a line
  13. mug — to rob
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. race — a contest
  19. row — to paddle
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a cup
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. race — humankind

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