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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lie — to recline
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tube — a container
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

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