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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bore — to tire
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. last — to go on
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — final
  13. squash — the sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bore — to drill
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cue — for pool

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