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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rest — a break
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spring — of water
  24. patient — a sick person

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