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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cue — a signal
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — army training
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. ground — a position
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. drill — a practice
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — a subject
  24. rock — a stone

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