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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. last — to go on
  6. cell — in biology
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — final
  11. bore — to drill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rock — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pop — soda
  18. hand — help
  19. deal — to handle
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. last — finally
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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