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 · content · wake · bay · rule · bowl · kid · bear

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. kid — child
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rule — a law
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rule — government
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — happy
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tear — to rip
  21. content — the amount
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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