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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bore — to drill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. march — music
  21. bound — certain
  22. march — the month
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — obliged

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