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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. club — for golf
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bore — to tire
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wake — a trail
  11. root — of a word
  12. chest — of your body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chest — a box
  15. root — of a plant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. club — a group
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. root — the cause
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for dancing
  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