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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bore — to drill
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. key — in music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — of the year
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. season — in sport
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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