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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rest — a break
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cell — in biology

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