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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. hand — help
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — there

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