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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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 — to tire
  2. mate — a partner
  3. file — a document
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. file — a line of people
  15. scale — in music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bore — gave birth
  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