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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pop — music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. branch — a division
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pop — to visit
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kick — in football
  19. bore — to tire
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — soda
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mug — to rob

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