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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bore — to drill
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — a trail
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — newspapers
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pitch — completely
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. press — to push
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — in geometry

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