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: bore · deal · fan · fall · bay · file · tear · root

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tear — to rip
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. root — of a word
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. deal — to handle
  20. root — the cause
  21. file — a document
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bore — to drill

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