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 124 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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. last — finally
  6. root — of a plant
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. root — of a word
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bore — to drill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. last — final
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — to tire
  21. last — to go on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. root — the cause

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