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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. squash — the sport
  5. kid — child
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lean — thin
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — to tire
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. season — of the year
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. drill — army training

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