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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. present — there
  5. bore — to tire
  6. present — a gift
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — rain
  9. spring — the season
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — a container
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spring — a coil
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — a stone

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