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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. content — happy
  4. tear — to rip
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. march — music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — the cause
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. root — of a word
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. root — of a plant
  20. content — the amount
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bass — the fish
  23. march — the month
  24. saw — the tool

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