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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. plane — a tool
  4. spring — the season
  5. bore — to drill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bat — in an idiom

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