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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wind — moving air
  11. band — a ring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. plane — a tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. march — music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bore — to tire
  24. dip — to dunk

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