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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. band — a ring
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — music
  14. band — a music group
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chest — a box
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — gave birth

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