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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — of law
  18. drill — the tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — army training
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mate — a friend

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