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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — of water
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spring — the season
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — music
  23. spell — magic
  24. swing — to play on

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