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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fine — all right
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bass — low music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — to cool the air

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