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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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. sharp — clever
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. scale — in music
  13. field — for sport
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — to drill
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. scale — size or range
  23. field — a subject
  24. cue — a signal

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