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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. drill — a practice
  11. march — the month
  12. pop — music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. bore — to drill
  17. drill — army training
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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