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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stock — shares
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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