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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — a hint
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. key — in music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — for a lock

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