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: mark · temple · staff · bore · mine · hide · spring · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mine — for digging
  9. land — to come down
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — ground
  20. spring — the season
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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