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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ground — a position
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ground — crushed
  8. dip — to sink
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. last — final
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. last — finally
  17. scale — size or range
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ground — the earth
  20. key — in music
  21. scale — in music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. last — to go on
  24. pass — to spend time

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