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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. march — the month
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. march — the month
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bore — to tire
  10. track — a song
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. kick — in football
  14. march — music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fall — the season
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — a path
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mate — a partner
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fork — in a road

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