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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — hasty
  4. present — a gift
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. object — an aim
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. present — the time now
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. object — to protest
  13. shower — to wash
  14. sharp — clever
  15. shower — rain
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. present — there
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hand — help
  23. object — a thing
  24. sharp — exactly

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