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 124 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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. drill — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pit — a hole
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ground — a position
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bore — gave birth

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