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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. field — a subject
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. board — a committee
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — a container
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. board — to get on
  23. spell — magic
  24. board — a flat piece

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