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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. net — for catching
  6. bore — to tire
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. file — a document
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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