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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. pop — soda
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — to drill
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pop — music

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