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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — army training
  6. spring — of water
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. squash — the sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — to drill
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spring — the season
  23. bore — to tire
  24. drill — a practice

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