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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kick — in football
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. bore — to tire
  11. face — to confront
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spell — letters
  14. cell — in biology
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cell — a phone
  24. spring — the season

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