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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — in sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to click
  16. cold — an illness
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cold — not warm
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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