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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fine — all right
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — for digging
  8. net — after costs
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. march — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. march — the month
  19. net — in sport
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fine — high quality

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