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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. club — for dancing
  3. net — after costs
  4. bore — to drill
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — for golf
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — a country
  15. rock — music
  16. land — ground
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. club — a group
  19. net — for catching
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — a division
  22. chip — for betting
  23. land — to come down
  24. cabinet — ministers

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