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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mug — a face
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mug — to rob
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. lean — thin
  9. object — an aim
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cue — for pool
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. cold — not warm
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cold — an illness
  24. kid — child

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