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

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cold — not warm
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. content — happy
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — the amount
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bore — to tire
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. kid — child
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — of ice

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