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: pound · race · tear · can · cap · safe · drill · content

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cap — of ice
  7. content — the amount
  8. race — humankind
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — a hat
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — from crying
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. pound — a weight
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — a contest

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