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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bore — to tire
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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