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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — a partner
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. spell — letters
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. spell — magic
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. mate — a friend

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