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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ball — a dance
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. drill — army training
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bore — to drill
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. drill — a practice
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a great time
  21. season — of the year
  22. bore — to tire
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. snap — to click

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