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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mug — a face
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fall — the season
  14. mug — a cup
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — the amount
  21. bore — to tire
  22. game — a match
  23. content — happy
  24. fan — a supporter

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