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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. cap — a lid
  7. staff — employees
  8. craft — boats
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. craft — a skill
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — what's left
  19. field — a subject
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rest — a break
  24. bass — low music

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