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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. clip — for paper
  6. board — a committee
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. swing — to play on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. swing — music
  16. board — to get on
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. clip — a video
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rush — hurry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bore — to tire

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