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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pit — a hole
  4. drill — a practice
  5. clip — for paper
  6. drill — the tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pit — in a race
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bore — to tire
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. drill — army training
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — a video
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. face — to confront
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — to dunk

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