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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. court — for sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bound — certain
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. file — a tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. board — a committee
  18. wax — to grow
  19. court — of law
  20. mate — a friend
  21. court — of a king
  22. file — a document
  23. bound — obliged
  24. row — a line

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