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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — the animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hand — help
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — hurry
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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