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 · bear · rest · roll · ground · spell · present · temple

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. spell — magic
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — crushed
  5. present — there
  6. spell — a short time
  7. present — a gift
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rest — a break
  11. ground — a position
  12. roll — a list
  13. bear — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. present — the time now
  18. tear — to rip
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tear — from crying
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spell — letters
  24. bear — to put up with

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