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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. roll — a cake
  6. can — to be able to
  7. current — happening now
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. roll — a list
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — in football
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. current — electric

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