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 · cap · rock · safe · stick · foot · net · sharp

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — in sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. net — for catching
  11. rock — music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rock — a stone
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — after costs
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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