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: bat · present · cold · leaves · nail · board · bulb · bore

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bat — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cold — not warm
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — there
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. nail — on a finger

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