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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mate — a partner
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hand — in cards
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bore — gave birth

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