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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — decided
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rash — a series
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. net — for catching
  11. bore — to drill
  12. firm — a company
  13. saw — the tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — in sport
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. track — a path
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. firm — steady
  24. track — a song

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