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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. shower — rain
  3. craft — boats
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bore — to tire
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. roll — a list
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. shower — to wash
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — to recline
  24. roll — a cake

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