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: fine · bore · row · press · last · field · game · saw

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. field — a subject
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. game — a match
  10. fine — high quality
  11. press — newspapers
  12. last — finally
  13. row — to paddle
  14. field — farmland
  15. fine — all right
  16. game — wild animals
  17. last — final
  18. row — a line
  19. field — for sport
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. press — a publisher
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bore — to drill

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