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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. press — to push
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — to tease
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. kid — child
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stem — to come from
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. jam — in traffic

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