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: rest · track · bound · branch · tear · can · ball · lie

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — obliged
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. tear — from crying
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. branch — a division
  19. track — a song
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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