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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bore — to drill
  4. board — to get on
  5. cold — an illness
  6. press — newspapers
  7. board — a committee
  8. row — a line
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cold — not warm
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — the sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bore — to tire
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cabinet — ministers

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