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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. land — a country
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — a path
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. date — the fruit
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — a song
  16. bore — to drill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. land — ground
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lie — an untruth

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