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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. file — a tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. file — a document
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. mate — a partner
  15. snap — to click
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. net — in sport
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bore — to drill

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