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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. current — electric
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — happening now
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bore — to tire
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. current — of water
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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