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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. drill — the tool
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. track — a path
  9. march — the month
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. drill — army training
  22. plane — a tool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. drill — a practice

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