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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spring — a coil
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. net — in sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bore — to tire
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — after costs
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — the season
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spring — of water
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bowl — to roll

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