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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. squash — the sport
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. staff — employees
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. drill — the tool

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