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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to drill
  6. board — to get on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bore — to tire
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stock — goods
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hand — help
  15. stock — shares
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fall — the season
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — a committee
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pit — a hole

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