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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. board — a committee
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. prune — to trim
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — to trim
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ball — a great time
  24. drill — army training

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