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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bore — to tire
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — thin
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bore — to drill

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