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: dip · season · tear · saw · bear · pitcher · stick · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — of the year
  24. mate — a partner

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