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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — to drill
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bore — to tire
  10. can — to be able to
  11. track — to keep track
  12. current — of water
  13. pit — in a race
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. band — a ring
  18. current — happening now
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. band — a music group
  22. current — electric
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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