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: race · net · fall · trunk · staff · temple · leaves · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. staff — employees
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — a contest
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. race — the arms race
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — after costs
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tear — to rip
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — for catching
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. race — humankind
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — in sport

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