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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — in sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spell — letters
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — ground
  10. net — for catching
  11. spell — magic
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — after costs

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