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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — certain
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bound — obliged
  13. court — of law
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spring — the season
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. race — humankind
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. staff — employees

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