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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bore — to tire
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. court — of law
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. fine — all right
  13. bore — to drill
  14. present — the time now
  15. court — of a king
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — a trace
  19. court — for sport
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cold — not warm
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mark — a grade

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