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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. last — finally
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. face — part of the head
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. face — to confront
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bore — to tire
  13. last — final
  14. face — to point toward
  15. net — after costs
  16. mine — for digging
  17. tube — a container
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bore — to drill
  20. net — for catching
  21. last — to go on
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bear — the animal
  24. net — in sport

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