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: tear · capital · mine · tube · bore · bowl · nail · rock

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tube — a container
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. capital — a city
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rock — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bowl — to roll

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