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 · march · charge · jam · temple · date · fall · kick

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — electricity
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fall — the season
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tear — from crying
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. charge — a price
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tear — from crying
  19. march — the month
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fall — to drop
  23. charge — in control
  24. temple — a place of worship

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