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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. club — for golf
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. club — a group
  6. bore — to drill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. current — of water
  11. chest — a box
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — happening now
  17. net — for catching
  18. chest — of your body
  19. net — after costs
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. net — in sport
  23. content — the amount
  24. current — electric

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