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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bore — to drill
  8. charge — in control
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pop — music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — a price
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. pop — soda
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bark — to shout

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