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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bore — to tire
  3. present — a gift
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — the season
  7. mug — a cup
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mug — a face
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — humankind
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — a break
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. present — the time now
  18. spring — of water
  19. present — there
  20. race — a contest
  21. last — finally
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mug — to rob

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