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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — army training
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — a practice
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — the tool
  23. key — in music
  24. game — a match

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