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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mug — a face
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stock — goods
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cap — a lid
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mug — to rob
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stock — shares
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hand — help
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bore — to 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