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 116 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rest — a break
  14. rash — a series
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. drill — army training
  24. rest — what's left

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