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 116 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: race · bore · can · track · mate · deal · fork · wind

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. race — humankind
  3. track — a song
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mate — a partner
  12. track — a path
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. race — the arms race
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bore — to tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. race — a contest

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