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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chip — for betting
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tear — to rip
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. spell — letters
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bat — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wind — moving air
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tear — from crying

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