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: tear · bark · cold · toast · craft · nail · fall · prune

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cold — an illness
  10. tear — to rip
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — bread
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — the season
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. craft — boats
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. prune — to trim

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