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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spring — the season
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bound — certain
  24. spring — a coil

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