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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. kid — child
  5. key — in music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. row — to paddle
  8. march — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. march — the month
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bore — to tire
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — thin
  17. present — there
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. row — a line
  22. lean — to bend
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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