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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. degree — temperature
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ground — a position
  17. deal — to handle
  18. degree — from a university
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bore — to drill

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