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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bore — to drill
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rest — a break
  22. can — to be able to
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. can — a tin

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