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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bore — to tire
  3. present — a gift
  4. file — a document
  5. content — happy
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. staff — employees
  8. bore — to drill
  9. file — a tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. band — a ring
  13. content — the amount
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stem — to come from
  16. key — the most important part
  17. present — there
  18. staff — employees
  19. present — the time now
  20. key — in music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. staff — a stick
  24. key — for a lock

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