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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. track — a path
  11. rash — a series
  12. ground — the earth
  13. track — a song
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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