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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. net — after costs
  5. roll — a cake
  6. content — the amount
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bore — to drill
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. net — in sport
  11. kid — child
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to tire
  23. drill — the tool
  24. content — happy

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