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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — to drill
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. scale — in music
  23. kick — in football
  24. mouse — the animal

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