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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ball — a dance
  4. scale — in music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. current — electric
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tear — from crying
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. current — happening now
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — the underground
  19. scale — size or range
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. tube — a container
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bore — to drill

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