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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bat — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. court — for sport
  10. season — in sport
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bore — to drill
  13. season — of the year
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tear — from crying
  16. drill — army training
  17. court — of a king
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bore — gave birth

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