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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hand — in cards
  6. tear — to rip
  7. field — for sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chair — a leader
  13. hand — help
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ball — a dance
  20. field — farmland
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. field — a subject
  24. chair — a professorship

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