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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. field — farmland
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pass — a permit
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pass — to succeed

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