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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fine — all right
  5. track — to keep track
  6. current — happening now
  7. track — a path
  8. fine — high quality
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cue — for pool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. wind — moving air
  19. current — of water
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. track — a song
  24. current — electric

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