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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tube — a container
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. track — a song
  6. net — in sport
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. track — a path
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — a leader
  13. net — for catching
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. net — after costs
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wound — an injury

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