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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — a path
  4. land — to come down
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ground — the earth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — a position
  10. land — ground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — crushed
  14. land — a country
  15. bore — to drill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rock — music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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