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: tube · mine · drill · land · mate · racket · bore · bay

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. land — ground
  3. bore — to tire
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. land — to come down
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mine — for digging
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. drill — army training
  19. land — a country
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bore — to drill
  24. racket — for tennis

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