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 · tear · staff · bear · season · fall · mark · cell

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cell — a phone
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fall — the season
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. staff — employees
  20. fall — to drop
  21. staff — employees
  22. season — in sport
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mark — to pay attention

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