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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — money
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. craft — boats
  13. game — a match
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bore — to drill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. capital — a city
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bat — in an idiom

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