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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fork — in a road
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. land — to come down
  7. spring — the season
  8. stock — shares
  9. land — a country
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stock — goods
  15. spring — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. land — ground
  24. clip — for paper

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