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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — to drill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. last — finally
  18. kick — in football
  19. land — a country
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. last — to go on
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. last — final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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