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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. net — after costs
  6. court — for sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pit — in a race
  10. court — of law
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. net — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — a division
  16. court — of a king
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bore — to tire
  21. net — for catching
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — a hole
  24. key — in music

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