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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. track — a song
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. date — the fruit
  6. object — to protest
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. track — a path
  9. bore — to drill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. club — a group
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. object — an aim
  15. cue — a hint
  16. band — a music group
  17. object — a thing
  18. cue — a signal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a ring
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cue — for pool

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