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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bore — to tire
  9. present — the time now
  10. pit — in a race
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — a series
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. object — a thing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — a gift
  19. object — to protest
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — there
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — hasty
  24. object — an aim

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