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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. net — after costs
  4. bore — to drill
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — the underground
  11. prune — to trim
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. net — for catching
  15. fork — in a road
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. object — to protest
  22. bore — to tire
  23. object — a thing
  24. tube — a container

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