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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bore — to tire
  6. drill — army training
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. track — a song
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mate — to breed
  16. track — a path
  17. drill — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. mate — a friend
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cap — of ice
  24. file — a line of people

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