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. The water is too ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pit — a hole
  17. game — wild animals
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. game — a match
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pit — in a race
  24. kick — in football

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