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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pass — a permit
  7. kid — child
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bore — to tire
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bore — to drill

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