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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. season — in sport
  3. bore — to drill
  4. file — a tool
  5. mate — a partner
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a document
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — to tire
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fall — the season

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