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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. field — a subject
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — for golf
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — a group
  13. spring — the season
  14. field — farmland
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. field — for sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  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