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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — of a king
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. bore — to tire
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bark — to shout
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wind — moving air

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