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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bound — obliged
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bound — certain
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ball — a great time
  24. calf — a young animal

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