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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mug — to rob
  5. band — a ring
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mug — a face
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mate — to breed

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