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: sharp · tear · bore · mate · arm · bark · spring · fine

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. tear — from crying
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — a partner
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bore — to tire
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spring — the season
  12. fine — all right
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mate — to breed
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fine — high quality
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — of water
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bark — to shout

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