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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. net — for catching
  3. key — in music
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ground — a position
  7. bank — of a river
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tear — to rip
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — after costs
  17. tear — from crying
  18. net — in sport
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bore — to drill
  21. season — in sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — the earth

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