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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — after costs
  3. mug — a cup
  4. race — a contest
  5. mug — a face
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. press — to push
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. press — a publisher
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mug — to rob
  18. race — humankind
  19. press — newspapers
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. net — in sport
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — for catching

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