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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. clip — to cut
  7. net — in sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. net — after costs
  13. hand — help
  14. clip — a video
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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