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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — for digging
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. kid — child
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cell — a phone
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rock — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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