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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. march — music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — clever
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bore — to drill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. sharp — exactly

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