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: bore · mine · rash · pit · wake · suit · cold · temple

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. suit — to fit
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rash — a series
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pit — in a race

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