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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ground — a position
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. current — happening now
  7. last — to go on
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. board — to get on
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. last — final
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bore — to tire

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