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 · charge · pop · stock · march · straw · arm · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stock — shares
  6. bore — to drill
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — soda
  9. bore — to tire
  10. march — music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. charge — a price
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stock — goods
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — dry grass

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