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 124 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. bat — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. present — a gift
  23. toast — bread
  24. bore — gave birth

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