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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — to protest
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — of the year
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. toast — bread
  17. object — an aim
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. season — in sport
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. object — a thing
  24. season — to add flavour

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