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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. land — a country
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chair — a leader
  8. court — of a king
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. race — humankind
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. land — to come down
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for dancing
  16. court — for sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. club — a group
  19. land — ground
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. club — for golf
  24. race — a contest

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