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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — finally
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lie — to recline
  23. last — to go on
  24. hide — animal skin

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