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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pit — in a race
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. chip — for betting
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — army training
  20. bore — to drill
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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