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 · object · track · fan · lie · chip · march · mine

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. march — the month
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. track — a song
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lie — to recline
  13. march — the month
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — a thing
  17. march — music
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chip — for betting

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