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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — goods
  18. mate — to breed
  19. file — a tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. file — a document
  24. stock — a soup base

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