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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. object — to protest
  6. hand — help
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bore — to tire
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. hand — in cards
  18. object — a thing
  19. capital — money
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. face — to confront

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