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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a friend
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mate — a partner
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. row — a line
  11. staff — employees
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mate — to breed
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — to drill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cold — an illness
  19. staff — a stick
  20. craft — boats
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cold — not warm
  23. craft — a skill
  24. scale — size or range

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