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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. object — a thing
  3. stand — to bear
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. foot — a measure
  11. object — an aim
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. object — to protest
  15. bore — to tire
  16. shower — rain
  17. bore — to drill
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. race — humankind
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bat — for baseball

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