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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. present — there
  3. mug — a face
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fall — to drop
  6. field — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. field — farmland
  10. present — a gift
  11. rock — a stone
  12. game — a match
  13. mug — to rob
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rock — music
  18. field — a subject
  19. fall — the season
  20. present — the time now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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