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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kid — child
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — army training
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a line
  12. mate — a friend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — a break
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. row — to paddle

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