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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · date · bore · hide · field · board

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. field — a subject
  3. date — the fruit
  4. field — farmland
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wake — a trail
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. field — for sport
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. board — to get on
  18. hide — to keep secret

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