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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. last — final
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — for golf
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. last — finally
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — a group

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