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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cold — an illness
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. safe — out of danger

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