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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. shower — to wash
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. shower — rain
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. race — a contest
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. lean — thin
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. land — ground
  13. race — humankind
  14. bore — to drill
  15. suit — clothes
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. land — to come down
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lean — to bend
  21. land — a country
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. suit — in cards

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