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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — a match
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bound — certain
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chest — a box
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bound — tied together
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bore — to drill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chest — of your body

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