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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bore — to drill
  3. snap — to click
  4. bore — to tire
  5. present — there
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. present — the time now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tube — the underground
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — a division
  18. lean — thin
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. tube — a container
  23. lean — to bend
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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