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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. can — to be able to
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — a practice
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. drill — army training
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hand — help
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — after costs
  15. hand — in cards
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. field — farmland
  19. bore — to drill
  20. drill — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. can — a tin

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