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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. track — a path
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — a publisher
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. track — a song
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. press — to push
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pound — a weight
  24. track — to keep track

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