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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to drill
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. can — to be able to
  14. sharp — clever
  15. degree — temperature
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bore — to tire
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bound — tied together
  23. degree — from a university
  24. net — in sport

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