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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bound — certain
  16. cap — of ice
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cap — a hat
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cap — a lid
  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