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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kick — in football
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — of a word
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hand — in cards
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. hand — help
  20. band — a ring
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a music group
  24. root — the cause

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