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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — to tire
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. sharp — clever
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cold — an illness
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cold — not warm
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cold — the Cold War

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