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: saw · bore · mate · spring · capital · hide · patient · lie

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — to recline
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spring — of water
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. capital — a city
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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