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: date · tube · bore · hand · game · staff · mark · tear

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. tube — a container
  3. bore — to drill
  4. game — wild animals
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hand — in cards
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. date — the fruit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — help
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tear — to rip
  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