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: date · tear · kid · bear · spell · branch · rule · pass

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kid — child
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. date — the fruit
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — magic
  15. rule — government
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. tear — from crying
  21. branch — a division
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pass — a permit
  24. kid — to tease

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