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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. kid — to tease
  2. rock — music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — low music
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — to tire
  21. kid — child
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fork — in a road
  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