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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — finally
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. track — a path
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. last — final
  8. snap — to click
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bound — certain
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. file — a document
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bound — obliged
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. last — to go on
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fork — a garden tool

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