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 120 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: mine · stand · bore · rash · tear · mouse · present · deal

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — there
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rash — a series
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. deal — a big deal

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