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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bore — to tire
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ground — a position
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. charge — in control
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bat — the animal

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