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: pitcher · fall · bear · nail · chest · tear · bore · lash

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chest — a box
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bore — to tire
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — the season
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to drill

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