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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chip — to eat
  5. snap — to click
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — of a word
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. field — for sport
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — a price
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — a subject
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chip — for betting
  24. charge — in control

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