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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spell — letters
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bat — the animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a great time
  9. suit — clothes
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — child
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. suit — to fit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bore — to drill
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bore — gave birth

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