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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. tube — the underground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cold — not warm
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — a practice
  13. snap — to click
  14. track — a path
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tube — a container
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cold — an illness
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mouse — the animal
  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