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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. sharp — clever
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — a container
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. hand — help
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — to drill
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — a box

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