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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. net — in sport
  7. sharp — clever
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. ground — a position
  19. march — the month
  20. spell — letters
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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