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: bear · tear · rest · lean · straw · mouse · rock · bark

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — thin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tear — from crying

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