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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — an illness
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cold — not warm
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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