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: ground · straw · tear · bear · bulb · arm · can · track

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. track — a song
  7. tear — from crying
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ground — a position
  15. can — to be able to
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — crushed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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