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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. staff — employees
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. field — farmland
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tear — to rip
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mate — to breed
  21. field — a subject
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. tear — from crying
  24. field — for 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