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: rash · march · mouse · face · object · current · fork · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — of water
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. march — the month
  11. object — a thing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rash — hasty
  14. current — electric
  15. march — the month
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — a series
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. face — to point toward
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fork — to eat 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