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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rock — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. band — a music group
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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