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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bore — to drill
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cold — not warm
  16. stock — goods
  17. can — a tin
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. leaves — of a tree

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