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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — to tire
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bound — certain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — to crush
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — music

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