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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. drill — a practice
  3. roll — a list
  4. swing — to play on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. staff — a stick
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mine — for digging
  9. tube — a container
  10. bore — to drill
  11. swing — music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. drill — army training
  21. staff — employees
  22. roll — a cake
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — on a roll

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