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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. race — the arms race
  3. board — to get on
  4. bore — to tire
  5. capital — money
  6. spell — magic
  7. stock — goods
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. spell — letters
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. race — humankind
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — a committee
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. content — happy
  19. race — a contest
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. capital — a city
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stock — shares

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