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 do anything ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. file — a document
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. present — a gift
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. file — a tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rash — a series
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. present — the time now
  19. spell — magic
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — to bear
  24. present — there

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