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: march · bore · stick · straw · roll · pit · mine · temple

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pit — in a race
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bore — to drill
  11. roll — a list
  12. march — the month
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. march — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. march — the month
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mine — for digging
  24. temple — a place of worship

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