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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bore — to drill
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — moving air
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. suit — in cards
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — letters
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. band — a ring
  24. wind — moving air

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