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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cold — an illness
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fine — all right
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kick — in football
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rock — music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cold — not warm
  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