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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. staff — employees
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bore — to drill
  14. present — a gift
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spell — magic
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — high quality

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