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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. firm — decided
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bass — the fish
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bass — low music
  12. capital — a city
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rock — a stone
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bore — to drill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rock — music
  24. firm — a company

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