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: mine · clip · bore · band · chair · lean · rock · land

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — thin
  5. land — a country
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. clip — a video
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. land — to come down
  22. lean — to bend
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. land — ground

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