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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. last — final
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. last — finally
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. season — to add flavour

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