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 116 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 · patient · squash · row · fan · mate · key · bore

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bore — to tire
  12. row — a line
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mate — a friend
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mate — a partner
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. key — the most important part
  24. squash — the sport

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