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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fine — all right
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bore — to tire
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rule — government
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — a practice
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fine — high quality
  19. swing — to play on
  20. drill — the tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. drill — army training
  24. degree — an amount

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