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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ground — a position
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. game — a match
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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