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: fall · spring · bank · rule · tear · cell · bear · object

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bank — for money
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — government
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. object — to protest
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fall — the season
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bank — for money
  21. tear — to rip
  22. spring — the season
  23. object — a thing
  24. rule — a law

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