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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pound — a weight
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — newspapers
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. march — the month
  19. press — to push
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. hand — in cards

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