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: lie · date · charge · wound · bear · pop · tear · cell

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cell — in biology
  12. tear — from crying
  13. date — the fruit
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bear — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pop — soda
  24. wound — an injury

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