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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. land — a country
  4. field — a subject
  5. mate — a friend
  6. field — for sport
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bore — to drill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. tube — a container
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — a contest
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — farmland
  17. land — to come down
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a partner
  21. toast — bread
  22. land — ground
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — humankind

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