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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lean — thin
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rest — what's left
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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