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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. present — a gift
  7. spring — of water
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. present — there
  11. firm — steady
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. track — a song
  15. firm — a company
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. net — after costs
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. firm — decided
  20. track — a path
  21. bore — to drill
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — the time now

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