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: pass · lean · straw · tear · track · mine · bulb · dip

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. tear — from crying
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — a permit
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mine — for digging
  17. track — a path
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lean — to bend
  23. track — a song
  24. lean — thin

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