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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kid — child
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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