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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spell — magic
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spell — letters
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mate — a partner
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rash — a series
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bore — gave birth

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