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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. swing — music
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — in golf
  8. board — to get on
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. tube — a container
  17. board — a committee
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tear — from crying

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