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: board · row · snap · capital · bear · fork · tear · pitcher

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. 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. tear — to rip
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. row — to paddle
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. row — a line
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a committee
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. snap — to click
  24. 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