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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. court — of a king
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tear — from crying
  7. plane — a tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. tear — from crying
  13. court — of law
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tear — to rip
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — child
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. deal — to handle

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