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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rush — hurry
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rash — a series
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bore — to drill
  16. roll — a cake
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. roll — a list
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — clever

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