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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. content — the amount
  6. drill — army training
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a hat
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — happy
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fan — a supporter

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