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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. file — a document
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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