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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. object — an aim
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. current — happening now
  5. object — to protest
  6. face — to confront
  7. season — in sport
  8. current — of water
  9. capital — money
  10. mug — a cup
  11. capital — a city
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — part of the head
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. season — of the year
  16. face — to point toward
  17. current — electric
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  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