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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — of the year
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. tube — a container
  8. mug — a face
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — for sport
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rock — a stone
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. field — a subject
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rock — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. field — farmland
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. season — in sport

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