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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. current — happening now
  6. wound — an injury
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chest — a box
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. current — of water
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rest — a break
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chest — of your body

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