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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chest — a box
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. toast — bread
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. swing — to play on
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. swing — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — thin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chest — of your body

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