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: dip · bore · court · bulb · wave · row · track · tear

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tear — from crying
  5. row — a line
  6. bore — to tire
  7. court — of a king
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. court — for sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tear — from crying
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. track — to keep track
  17. row — to paddle
  18. track — a song
  19. dip — to sink
  20. tear — to rip
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. court — of law

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