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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chest — of your body
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tube — a container
  7. bore — to tire
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — of your body
  14. march — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — a break
  17. tube — the underground
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — army training
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chest — a box
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — in a tire

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